In Costa Rica, approximately 700 snakebite cases occur each year, 5 to 10 of which result in death. At the Hospital Nacional de Niños (HNN), 6 to 10 cases are reported annually, more than half of these cases and nearly all deaths are result from Bothrops asper snakebite. This venomous snake, popularly known as the "terciopelo", most often attacks the lower or upper limbs and characteristically produces local tissue damage, which can be severe. The following is a report of the first case of a non-fatal and unusual facial bite caused by Bothrops asper in our country.
snakebite; abscess; Bothrops asper
